"The Louse and the Flea" or "Little Louse and Little Flea" (german: Läuschen und Flöhchen) is a German

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

collected by the

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...

, number 30.Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, ''Household Tales''
"The Louse and the Flea"
/ref> It is Aarne-Thompson type 2022, An Animal Mourns the Death of a Spouse,D.L. Ashliman,
The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales (Grimms' Fairy Tales)"
/ref> and takes the form of a chain tale, sometimes known as a

cumulative tale In a cumulative tale, sometimes also called a chain tale, action or dialogue repeats and builds up in some way as the tale progresses. With only the sparest of plots, these tales often depend upon repetition and rhythm for their effect, and can r ...

. Wilhelm Grimm probably heard the story from Dorothea Catharina Wild in 1808.

Synopsis

A louse and a flea are married until the louse drowns while brewing. The flea mourns, inspiring a door to ask why and start creaking, which inspires a broom to ask why and start sweeping -- through a sequence of objects until a spring overflows at the news and drowns them all.

Variants

In some versions the louse and the flea are replaced by a

ladybird Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from . They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Great Britain. Some entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as they ...

and a fly.Lily Owens, ed. (1981). ''The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales''. pp. 129–131. Avenel Books.

References

External links

*
Mourning the Death of a Spouse:chain tales of Aarne-Thompson type 2022
by

D. L. Ashliman Dee L. Ashliman (born January 1, 1938), who writes professionally as D. L. Ashliman, is an American folklorist and writer. He is Professor Emeritus of German at the University of Pittsburgh and is considered to be a leading expert on folklore an ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Louse and the Flea, The Louse and the Flea Louse and the Flea Louse and the Flea ATU 2000-2199